test if is numeric in RPG

[peteh@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx (Pete Hall)]

In message <33feab69.10974121@mail.ivic.qc.ca>, From ericm@ivic.qc.ca 
(Eric Mayrand), the following was written:
> I want to test if an alphanumeric string is numeric or not. Do you
> have some hints or tips to do this?

Eric,

As several others have implied, there is a TESTN op code. Testing for
digits will not necessarily return the correct result when working with
signed data, and the format of the data will have an impact also, so the
"correct" solution is ... it depends on the data. If you're expecting
only positive integer data, any of the methods that have been suggested
will work. If not, be aware that the "." "," "+" and "-" characters are
not considered to be valid in a numeric field on the AS/400, and the
last nibble will contain a hexidecimal F if positive or D if negative.
Even other IBM systems are not always consistent with this. Locale
differences may also play a part. In some parts of the world, the "."
and "," characters may be used differently than what you are accustomed
to. ASCII systems that I've used have usually wanted a leading sign
character and embedded decimal. You need to examine a comprehensive
sample of data in the source and destination formats in order to make a
decision.

Pete


--
 - Pete Hall peteh@earth.inwave.com
http://www.inwave.com/~peteh/

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